But what is less-known is that there is a pretty nicely worn trail to get to top of Roark Bluff that provides amazing views of the bluff from above, as well as the entire Steel Creek area.

The trail is a relatively easy hike, and because it's not well-traveled it's likely you'll have it all to yourself. And with these directions, you should be able to find your way pretty easily.

Getting there

The trail starts from the Steel Creek canoe launch along the Buffalo River. Take Highway 74 South from Ponca. At the top of the hill (about 1.5 miles from Ponca), turn left onto the Steel Creek access road (very well marked). Drive down to the bottom of the hill and turn right at the fork to get to the canoe access point. Park in the parking area here.

The trail starts on the OPPOSITE side of the river. During high water the trail won't be accessible. Never try to cross the river if there is a swift current and if you cannot see the bottom as it will be unsafe. Even during low water, you'll want to consider this a wet water crossing. Late summer, fall and early winter will be your best timing for this hike.

The Trail

Cross the river at the canoe put-in area. While it may be possible to rock-hop to get across, you should plan on this being a wet crossing.

Once crossing the river, the trail starts immediately across the river and to the right, and starts through a cane thicket. After a short walk, the trail splits. The trail to the right connects with the Old River Trail. Stay LEFT at the fork.

From here, the trail goes back into the woods away from the river, turns left up the hill a bit and through a nice pine grove.

The trail winds its way up the hill, to the right, then back up. Eventually it hits a really nice rocky bluff area. It's worth taking some time to explore.

The trail goes to the RIGHT of the rocky bluff area, but you'll need to go left to see some of the neater formations.

Back on the main trail, the trail loops around the rocky bluff and up the hill some more. Then the trail bends around to the left at the spot pictured below.

At this spot, the trail takes a hard LEFT up the hill. There was some pink tape marking the trail on the day we were there, but this area is well-traveled enough, especially in the fall, that you should be able to notice the turn if you're looking for it.

The trail goes up to to the top of the ridge, and then turns right, and heads back down a bit. It crosses over the remains of an old barbed wire fence and down onto the bluff until it reaches the overlook at about 1.1 miles from the River.

The overlook provides an amazing view of the Steel Creek recreation, the Buffalo River and Roark Bluff -- which are all below. As with all bluffs in the Ozarks and Buffalo River Area, be very careful near the edges as some spots are very narrow and the falls are very far and steep.

This is a great place to have lunch and just enjoy the beauty of the area.

Once you have spent your time at the bluff, return the way you arrived.

The entire trail is about 2.2 miles round trip.

If you have time to explore, there are also some neat rock formations and views of Big Bluff on the back side of the bluff (just beyond where you turned to go up to the ridge).

This is a really great little hike, and while not an officially maintained trail, it is used often enough that it was easy to follow for our Thanksgiving Day hike. It's one we definitely will check out again during the fall when the leaves are turning.

Trail Details

Distance: Approximately 2.2 miles roundtrip

Difficulty: Moderate - mostly due to the river crossing and being an unmarked trail

Footwear: Sturdy hiking boots or trail shoes

Kid Friendly: Older kids should be ok, as long as they can safely make the water crossing and are aware enough around cliffs.

01/13/2017

Roark Bluff is a popular spot for photographers. It's easily accessible, beautiful, and tends to have a variety of different lighting in the early mornings as the sun rises and reflects off the rocky bluff. Many an outstanding photo has been shot here.

Last fall, my wife bought me a spot in a Tim Ernst Photo Workshop (thank you Michelle!). I was super excited to take the course. I've enjoyed Tim's photography for years, and his hiking guides have been an invaluable resource as we've hiked the trails and waterfalls in Northwest Arkansas. So I was eager to learn some photography skills -- and in addition, enjoyed hearing some great stories and getting to meet someone who's words have inspired many a person to hike the Ozarks (including me).

And, I decided that as much as I love hiking the area, learning a few skills and tricks that would increase my odds of getting a good photo or three to share was well worth the investment for the course.

This picture was one of the early ones I took as the sun was barely rising and is one of my favorites that I took from the morning shoot. I love the stillness of the water, the reflections, and the hint of the beautiful day that is coming.

05/27/2015

The Ozarks are full of waterfalls. Many are seasonal falls, meaning they dry up in the hot and dry summers. And then there are some falls that only appear during very wet weather or after (or during) a heavy rain.

Two of those falls are Roark Bluff Falls and V Notch Falls.

Both of these falls are easy to get to and can be viewed from the car.

Simply take Highway 74 east out of Ponca and go up the hill to the entrance to the Steel Creek area of the Buffalo River. Then take the road back down the hill to the Steel Creek campground.

At the bottom of the hill, turn left, toward the campground. The first falls you'll come to is Roark Bluff Falls.

If you keep driving, V-Notch Falls appears just behind the first campsites you come to at the campground area.

Both of these falls tumble more than 100 feet over Roark Bluff and are a sight to behold.

Again, don't expect these to be flowing other than during very high water, but when they're flowing, they are very cool.

05/02/2012

It's Spring again -- and we've had some incredible weather to get out and enjoy some hiking and being outdoors in Northwest Arkansas.

A few weeks ago, we headed out for a short hike along the Buffalo River Trail from Ponca to Steel Creek (and back). This is a small section of a the Ponca-Kyles Landing stretch of the BRT that is about 9.9 miles. However, as a short day hike, we just went as far as Steel Creek, and then came back. It's almost exactly 2 miles to Steel Creek, making it a 4 mile round trip, which was perfect for us on a 1/2 day hike.

To hit this trail, park at the Ponca low water bridge and then walk out across the bridge to the small parking area on the other side. Just past that parking area, the BRT heads off to the left and the right. For this hike head down river to the left.

The trail starts off right along the Buffalo River and after a short stretch goes under the new highway bridge that crosses the river. Right at the spot where you cross under the highway bridge there is a little trail that leads down to an overlook on the river -- a very nice little view.

Back on the main trail, you'll continue along the river for awhile. There becomes another spur off to the left that again heads down to the river. I usually take these spurs just as a method of exploring. As you continue on up the hill a bit you get to yet another overlook. This is a great view with the river making two turns in front of you and a bluff in the background. This is also a challenging stretch of the river for canoeists (Michelle and I had an epic wipeout at this turn a year ago) so when the water is up and canoeists are on the upper Buffalo it's fun to watch people go through here and share in their joy as they make the corner.

As you continue on the trail it eventually turns to the right a little and heads up the hill. There is about a 500 foot elevation change here, so it's a pretty significant treck up. There are also a few small streams that you'll cross over here -- none are challenging or wet crossings, but make for some interesting water features during high water. There is one that we're extremely excited to go check out after a hard rain to watch the water flow.

As you head out across the higher part of the trail you are inward from the bluffline a bit HIGH above the Buffalo River. During leaf-off, there are some spectacular views from up here -- during late spring and summer, the leaves will block most of the great views.

Eventually, you'll head back down the hill again through some really nice rock bluffs and features.

As you get to the bottom of the hill you are near the Steel Creek Campground. At one point there is a short spur off to the left and it goes to the campground and the campground bathroom (and running water). Continue straight ahead for a few hundred yards and you'll eventually cross the newly paved road that heads from the highway to Steel Creek.

At this point, you're at 2 miles. You can continue on across the road to head to Kyle's Landing (a trail we'll discuss here another time) or, walk down to Steel Creek, check out the vally, Roark Bluff (right in front of you -- you can't miss it). This is a great area along the river that is heavily traveled and includes a Horse Trailer parking area.

Whenyou're done here, you can turn around and head back the way you came - another 2 miles back (and another 500 foot incline back up).